A Wolf in Us All
by APurpleAngel
Summary: Hear Granny's untold story of her life and why everything is the way it is...
1. A Big Bad Wolf

A Wolf in Us All

"Will you be back in time for dinner?" my voice quivered.

"We sure will, don't you worry," my father assured me. For being such a little girl, I believed every word he spoke. My green eyes looked up at him with beaming pride. _No wolf is too strong for my Daddy, not even the biggest, baddest wolf. _Besides, my six older brothers would accompany him, so the wolf had no chance.

I have never seen this wolf before, but I heard enough to know that it is eating the village's livestock as well as the residents. Everybody else is too scared to take action, but not my Daddy. Father has hunted wolves before, my brothers are even wearing the fur from his successful hunts. However, I know full well that this hunt will be different, from what I heard, the wolf is HUGE!

Even though I trusted that my father would come back, I hated the idea of being left alone. I had neither a mother nor any sisters to stay home with me. I gave a deep sigh as I saw all of my older brothers walking out the door with their weapons.

Daddy planted a kiss on my forehead, "You are in charge of the house, Scarlet," another thought came into his mind, "Don't open the door to strangers, even if they look friendly. Got it?" I nodded, and without another word, Daddy left out the door. I looked out the window, and watched them head into the dark forest.

"Come back soon," I spoke as if they could hear me.

Staying home is no fun at all, and it was so eerily quiet. I tried to find things to do, but sweeping the floors or reading large books isn't exactly appealing to a little girl. _Maybe I can play in the snow? _Before a blink of an eye, I grabbed my winter coat, and headed out the back door. Snow angels, catching snowflakes, making a small snowman, it was all a magical experience I would never forget.

A distant howl pierced the air. My breath stopped for a moment, and then I heard far away yells. I climbed up a ladder and unto the roof to get a better view. _My family must be attacking the wolf right now. _My heart pounded at the thought. I scanned around my environment to see where the noises came from. And it was not at all what I was hoping….

My father and brothers were all lying on the ground, dead. I watched the youngest of my brothers get mauled by the dark wolf before my very eyes, "Christophe!" I screamed so loud my voice shrieked. The last of my family members breathed his very last breath. Tears filled my eyes, and my knees weakened to a point where I couldn't stand any more.

I fell off the roof.

My fall was stopped by a bundle of snow, but my body rolled right in front of the wolf. _Oh God, oh please no….please oh please. _The giant wolf looked at me with a crooked, bloody grin on its face. Then, not missing a step, it trotted even closer to me.

I froze in fright with icy sweat forming on my forehead. _I don't want to die…._The demonic, glowing eyes were enough to make me cry in fear. It lunged at me, and I held up my arm to protect my face and neck. The teeth of the wolf raked across my arm. A cry of pain escaped my throat.

It was about to take another snap at me, when suddenly, it jerked its head back and perked its ears. The glow in its eyes left as the wolf took a step back and retreated into the forest. I would have nursed my wound, but I was more concerned about my family. I ran over to their lifeless bodies.

"No! Daddy, you can't be dead!" But the blood that soaked the snow only proved me wrong, "Redrick, Joel, Aaron!" I started calling out the names of my brothers, "Derrick, Chase!" It was all hopeless. Any other girl would have just stood and cried there for the whole day…but not me. I felt different; anger flooded my body. I wanted REVENGE.

I took the dagger that was still on Christophe's belt and grabbed my father's crossbow, "I will kill the wolf, even if it's the last thing I do," I vowed to him, and then I kissed my father's forehead as another tear ran down my cheek. My father's crossbow was heavy, but I eventually got used to the weight. Right then and there, I decided to follow the paw prints in the snow.

I wasn't thinking…grief overshadowed my judgment. I totally forgot I was a little girl who barely had enough strength to carry a crossbow, never mind fight off a wolf. It was almost as if something was helping me strengthen my will…

As the trees got more and more dense around me, I started to slow my running down. I noticed then that the pawprints were changing into…FOOTPRINTS? Did that mean...the wolf was actually a werewolf? The tracks soon led me to a boy not too much older than me. There he was, 20 yards away. He was clinging on to his head like he had a terrible headache, "No, this shouldn't happen. God, why!" I heard him scream.

I jumped into his eyesight, "So, you are the werewolf that killed my family!" The crossbow wobbled a little in my hands, "Don't move!" I continued to walk a little closer, "Why did you do it? Murderer!"

He said nothing, and sprinted fast into the thickest part of the woods. I attempted to follow but couldn't keep up, "I will find you!" I screamed.

A pain in my arm suddenly erupted; it was the same wound from the werewolf. I felt like crying, but I sucked it up. Ripping a piece of my clothing and wrapping it around my arm, I spoke quietly to myself, "There is no time for crying anymore, toughen up," I spoke as if I was a warrior in a girl's body, "You are not Scarlet anymore. You left her behind," calmly, I thought up a new name for myself, "Lucas…That is my name. It means wolf…and sounds tough," I agreed with myself.

I knew I couldn't head back now, I had no family and no life back at the village. It was almost instinct that told me I had to stay in the woods, learn to survive, and eventually, get strong enough to destroy the werewolf.

I couldn't get a good glimpse at the boy to be able to identify him well, but I knew one thing. He had copper hair_. I will be wary of anyone with that hair color._


	2. The Two of Them

My life continued, and it was difficult. I learned which plants were okay to eat, and which were not, the HARD way. I learned to have patience, and how useful the crossbow was when hunting. I had to make my own clothing from animal hide, or from thread I stole from passersby. I learned how to hide from knights, and I sometimes stole food from dwarfs or travelers. I observed the wolves' weaknesses in the wild. I learned to gather plenty of food in the warm times to make up for the winter. I tied my dirty blonde hair back, and placed dirt on my face, so I could blend in my environment better. I also learned one other IMPORTANT thing. The old wound from the werewolf has turned me into one. Yeah, as if my life could get any more perfect.

I figured out I was one, in my early teens, when I started waking up in random places, sometimes with freshly killed livestock around. It didn't take long for me to put two and two together. I started to despise myself, and I hated the werewolf who gave it to me even more.

Then, my life really changed when I met HIM….

It was the summer of my late teenage years. When it was cold here, it was freezing, but when it was summer time the heat was unbearable for one who was not used to it. I was gathering some edible roots from the Thistleleaf trees. Cutting each root with my dagger, I stuck them into my handmade bag. I had no need to bring my crossbow with me, so I left it at my tree house that I had made a few years back. The sound of approaching footsteps surprised me. They sounded so close. I turned around and, yup, they were not more than five feet away, staring at me curiously.

_There stood two young men, only a little older than me ._They were wearing traveler's clothing; made of a light fabric, no sleeves, shorts, leather vests and belts, and boots. This just made my handmade clothing that was covered in dirt look like crap. In fact, all I had to wear was a thin white blouse and scrappy skirt for summertime, and a poorly made fur coat and pants during winter. I wore knee-high boots all year round.

The first traveler was tall, pale, had jet-black spiked hair, dark blue eyes, and was starting to grow stubble on his chin. The second one was shorter, had more muscle, friendly hazel eyes, looked younger, and…._He had copper hair!_

I took a step back and held out my dagger, "Don't come any closer!" I warned.

Copper Guy raised his hands, and gave a friendly smile, "Relax, we aren't here to harm you. We were just curious. My name is Quinn, and this is my brother Blu," Quinn pointed to the dark haired guy, who didn't look as friendly.

"Brothers, huh? You don't look related," suspicion dripped in every word.

"We have different fathers, so really, we are half-brothers," Quinn spoke with seeming honesty in his eyes. "It is hard to talk when you have a dagger pointed at us,"

_Could they be lying? _I slowly placed the dagger in my belt but kept my hand on it. _I have no proof Quinn is the copper haired kid I saw years ago…but still..._

My gaze fixed onto Blu, who still didn't say much, "What's in your bag?" I asked him.

Blu started to open his bag and finally spoke.

"Two loafs of cornbread. What is in yours, dirt?" he said with sarcasm. I gave him a glare.

"Just a bunch of roots I was collecting until you two bimbos showed up," my eyes rolled. I thought I saw a tiny grin appear and disappear on Blu's lips, but I wasn't sure.

Then, he did something I wasn't expecting. Blu took out one loaf of cornbread and gave it to me. Quinn looked confused, "What are you doing?"

"Quinn, one loaf will be enough for our journey. Besides, I couldn't bare the thought of her eating dirt," _Did Blu just wink at me?_

In almost a blink of an eye, Blu turned back to his serious self, and Quinn became talk-ity.

"So, why are you this deep into the forest? What village are you from? What do those roots taste like? Is that what you do to live, collect roots?" _Oh my GOD, if he doesn't shut up, I'll make him in a moment._

"Listen here, _princess, _I don't DO back stories," I spoke coldly. "Just continue whatever life-changing 'journey' you guys are on, and leave me alone."

A little sadness appeared in Quinn's eyes, "Well, I guess we have to get going anyways. It was nice to meet you…" Blu gave a short snicker at what Quinn said. _It was just peachy, wasn't it?_

They started walking away, but Quinn turned around, "Wait, what is your name?"

"Lucas," was all I said as I slipped away into the shadows.

At a distance I thought I heard Blu stifle a laugh, "Isn't that a boy's name?"

I didn't care what they thought, I just headed in the direction of my tree house. As long as I was far away from that Copper Hair, I felt fine.

It was a full week before I heard anyone else's voice. On the day I did, I was hunting a ground pheasant for breakfast. I waited nearly an hour before the brown bird finally popped its head out of the burrow. It slowly walked out, and started pecking at the ground. The crossbow in my hands twinged with anticipation.

"Lucas! Where are you? I just want to talk for a second," that was enough to have the bird run back to its burrow. _The idiot that made me lose breakfast is going to pay. _I followed the sound of a young man's voice. I half expected it to be Quinn.

Surprise. It was Blu.

I'm pretty sure a mixture of me holding a crossbow, and him seeing me pissed off, freaked him out a little. However, he still managed to look cool and collected. He was dressed in more comfortable clothing, just a simple vest, pants, and boots. It would make sense to wear stuff lighter in this hot and humid weather.

"What do YOU want? I was hunting, and you scared my prey off. Now, I don't have breakfast," I growled. Blu gave another smirk, "Don't worry, nobody is missing breakfast. I was in the area and wanted to drop this by you," he opened his bag, and dropped a loaf of raisin bread into my free hand.

I probably looked surprised and dumb at the same time, "Oh, umm, thanks."

"No problem," he said, and began to walk away. _That's it? He came all this way to give me this loaf? _My curiosity got the better of me, "Wait," Blu looked back at me like he was expecting it, "Sit down over there, I want to ask you something," I pointed to a patch of soft grass and sat down next to him. As much as I hate to admit it, I kind of liked his company.

Question time.

"What are you doing in the area? I thought you were going on some sort of journey,"

Blu shrugged, "No, me and my brother live far apart, so we journey to each other's villages from time to time. I'm walking my way back to my village," I took a bite out of the raisin bread. The cornbread was good, but this was delicious!

"So, do you like it?" Blu asked, "Quinn is a baker, and is proud of his famous raisin bread," I almost spat it out when he said Quinn's name. Blu looked at me curiously, "You seem to trust me more than my brother. Why is that?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," I grumbled. Blu shrugged once again, "Okay, whatever. Listen, I have to go. I'll bring you back more food in about three days," he got up, dusted himself, and offered a hand to help me up. I didn't want to look upset that he was leaving or surprised that he was going to come back in three days. Instead, I just kept my tough girl persona, "I don't need you to get me anything. I'm perfectly capable of catching my own food."

"Well, you didn't catch breakfast today, remember?" he teased.

I scoffed, "It was because you-"

He cut me off, "I'll bring you food in three days."

With that, he left without another word.

_Hey, it's free food. Why be picky?_

Could I totally, and completely, trust him? No, not yet. What about Quinn? Nope, I don't think I could…Blu didn't have the copper hair that made me wary, and for the first time in a long time, I actually had someone to talk to. The forest never felt so lonely before.


	3. The Good Days

Life started to get better for me. Blu would come every three days with food, and sometimes with Quinn, and it was enough food to last at least three days. Sometimes he would bring soap, because he often joked that I needed baths. Blu wasn't the way he was when I first met him, he started to seem happier, though he still had a sarcastic remark to say every once in a while. Blu also noticed I was more nervous around Quinn, so he started visiting both of us separately.

As I saw Quinn less, I opened up to Blu more. There would be days where we would talk for hours, and sometimes I showed him around the forest. I started to trust him more too; I even showed him the tree house I lived in. Within a year we grew to be close friends…That was when I started telling him about my past gradually; I eventually told him how my family died and why I disliked Quinn.

"A werewolf? You think my brother is a werewolf?" Blu looked down and frowned. There was an uncanny silence. Then, without looking into my eyes, he said, "I can tell you one thing, I know for sure my brother is not a werewolf," the more he talked about it the more irritated he seemed to get. _Maybe Quinn isn't the werewolf...did I misjudge him? _Quinn for the longest time has been trying to gain my trust, being friendly no matter how cold I acted towards him. A sudden guilt haunted me.

"I'm sorry, really I am. Bring Quinn around next time; I'll apologize to him," I truly meant it. Blu gave me a cold look. After another long silence, he finally spoke again, "Lu, it was a very tragic thing that happened to you, and I guess I can see why you didn't trust Quinn…I just-" he didn't finish, and looked away. It was almost like he was saying one thing, but meant another.

I gave him a playful shove and tried to change the topic, "Hey, I bet I can climb a tree better then you."

Blu gave a small smirk, "Let's see if you can."

Swift as a squirrel I climbed up a large tree without even thinking much about it. I winked at him from above, "Now you try."

"I just don't know how you do it, Lu," he pointed out while saying my nickname.

And surprise, surprise! He was very sluggish, and only reached half as far up as I did, "No fair! You have been living in the woods for umpteen years."

I replied with only laughter. Embarrassment caused him to blush.

I started to gradually trust Quinn as well. If you got through his Mr. I-Love-to-Talk self, he was actually pretty cool. The three of us grew to be great friends, and I have done something I never thought I would do before…I moved out of the woods and into Blu's village. Quinn was the one who convinced me.

"Winter time is coming up, and I would feel better if you had a warm place to stay. Plus, there are rumors of two, large wolves roaming the area. It would be best if you could stay in one of the villages," Quinn bringing up the wolves made me not want to live in a village, because I am dangerous _to_ be around. I used to turn into a werewolf the night of every full moon, but steadily, the happenings grew rarer.

I had the thought that maybe the werewolf-thing progressively died down with age. After all, I was a young woman now, maybe it'll stop all together, but it was still a huge risk. I have restrained myself from telling Quinn or Blu that I was marked by the very werewolf the killed my family, because...well…I didn't want them to be scared. Call me selfish, but they were my only friends, and I didn't want to lose them.

Quinn and Blu looked at me waiting for an answer, "Well?" They said in unison. _I can't argue with them, I don't have a good enough excuse. _My mind was going through all the possible lies, and none were believable. Finally, I thought of a plan.

"Fine, I guess I'll move into Blu's village. There might be a small cottage for me to stay at."

Blu gave a smirk at Quinn, "She chose my village over yours."

"Only because SOMEBODY has to keep an eye on you," Quinn said like it was an inside joke.

Blu rolled his eyes and I playfully punched him.


	4. A Love Revealed

I knew I was moving into Blu's village, but when one thing led to another, I actually ended up living in Blu's small cottage. He was old enough to live alone but he had a second bedroom. I brought only three things with me; my crossbow, my dagger, and my bag. Blu shook his head dismissively, "You won't be needing that anymore, leave the hunting to the _men_," I could tell he was waiting for me to mock him, but instead I looked up into his eyes with depression filling in.

"This crossbow…was my father's," silence sank in.

Blu grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug. _Man, this is awkward. _I was too shocked to even put my arms around him. _When was the last time gotten a hug? Oh yeah, before my father died. _I actually missed the feeling of being safe in the embrace of a hug. _Well, idiot, stop thinking and actually put your arms around him!_ Slowly but surely, I hugged him back.

As we let go of our embrace, all I could stutter was a, "Thanks," he still looked like his usual cool, and collected self with his blue eyes shining, "You needed that for the longest time, Lu," he displayed his signature corner-of-the-mouth smirk.

He showed me around town, and even where he worked on weekends. It was a woodwork shop, and almost every kind of furniture imaginable was there. Spotting some beautifully carved coo-coo clocks, I pondered whether they were made by the shop owner or by Blu himself. Reading my mind, Blu whispered into my ear, "Those were made by Geppetto, the shop owner's son," I followed his gaze to a 10-year-old boy sitting down carving something that I couldn't quite make out. _He has a real talent. _I was going to walk out of the store with Blu when I realized Geppetto could actually help with my plan….the very plan that'll help keep me from changing into a wolf.

"Oh by the way Blu, I heard they were selling winter coats in the next shop over. I'm really going to need one, my other is worn down."

Like the loyal friend I've known him to be, he saluted me, "Yes, sir!" he left without another word.

I then fixed my gaze on Geppetto. Tapping his shoulder, I spoke as politely as I could, "Good evening. You seem like a hard-working boy. Would you be interested in helping me with something?"

Geppetto's eyes beamed with glee, "Sure ma'am, are you looking for a certain type of wood? Oak is one of our best-sellers. We also have a great deal going on; buy one cedar teatable get another free," _Jeez, for a little kid he sounds like a professional business man._

"No, I need help with something else. It's really important, and I'm willing to pay you five gold shillings for it," I said while holding up some money Blu gave me a while ago.

Geppetto's eyes shot wide open, "Five?! Sure! Whatever it is, I'll help," giving a kind smile, I whispered in his ear. He nodded his head, "Sounds fair enough. I'll do it," and with a hand shake, the deal was set.

Now, I have to wait for the day to come. It was about four weeks later until the first full moon. I waited until I heard snoring coming from Blu's room before I snuck out. _I hope Geppetto_ _remembers. _Sure enough, I found him in the woods.

"Okay I have the rope. What do you want me to do with it?"

I went to a nearby large oak, "Now tie me to this tree."

Geppetto looked at me like I had three heads, "You want me to what?!"

"Just do it," I encouraged, "Make sure it is at tight as possible," Geppetto nodded, then obeyed my orders. Afterwards, he scratched his head, "So, I guess I'll come for you in the morning?"

"Yup."

As soon as he left, I waited alone and watched as the night grew darker, and the moon crept its way into view. I knew that tying myself to the trunk of a tree wasn't my brightest idea, but I didn't know what else to do. At least if I changed out here, Blu wouldn't see me. It shouldn't be too much longer before the moon takes its place in the center of the star filled sky, so it's too late to have second thoughts.

Even though it was freezing outside, sweat beaded on my forehead. I thought that maybe if I focused all of my energy on not changing, I could postpone my transformation until the next full moon; maybe by that time, I would have a better plan. I tried to stay awake, but my efforts were beginning to make me grow weary. _I will just close my eyes for one moment…._

"What do you think you're doing?"

_Blu! How the hell did he find me here? _"Stay back! I don't want to hurt you!" He ignored me and started cutting the rope.

"Blu, run if you have any sense left in you…" this was when his face came only inches from mine. His eyes seemed to peer into my soul, "Run, from what?" but oddly, it seemed like he knew the answer.

I just couldn't look at him, "There is something I should have told you a while ago," Guilt made it hard for me to speak, "I-I'm a werewolf…I was marked. Now, please, run away. Please!" I wailed. Blu finished cutting off the last bit of rope, not seeming the least bit frightened.

I pushed him as hard as I could, "Run away, fool!" I spat. Instead he pulled me close, and placed a red hood on me. _So, apparently we have time for accessories…it'll look nice till I turn all hairy and rip it apart._

"It'll keep you from turning; I spent most of what I had for the Deaf Witch of Graywoods to make me this red hood. I have known for a long time," Blu put emphasis on the word "long".

I was ashamed, "I know you hate me right now. I thought your brother was a werewolf, meanwhile I was one myself. I'm a monster," the words came out like poison in my mouth, "You should leave me."

Blu pulled me even closer till our faces were just a breath apart, "I will never leave you…EVER," he spoke as soft as a feather. Then, just like that, he kissed me. I blushed really hard and his face felt hot, so he was possibly blushing too. _Well, I guess this confirms our feelings for each other._

My cheeks got even hotter when I realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. He was only wearing his night pants. _He must have literally jumped out of bed when he realized I was gone._ I tried my hardest not to stare at his muscles that were glistening under the winter moon's alluring beams, but my efforts were unsuccessful, and I kept catching myself gawking at him, which I'm sure he didn't mind me doing, but every time he caught me staring, it just made me blush even harder.

When we broke it up, I looked up into the sky. The full moon was out, and I didn't turn into anything. I had an inward celebration, "We should probably head back to the cottage, before you decide to strap yourself to a tree again," Blu joked. I just smiled and held his hand. Never had I felt so safe, so special. _He's the best thing that ever happened to me._


	5. The Pains of Truth

As more time passed, our feelings for each other grew stronger and stronger by the years, so much so that he eventually proposed. He told me to meet him at the old treehouse, where he knelt down waiting for me. Marriage happened soon after, and we were one of the happiest couples in the village. Not much after that, I gave birth to my dear daughter, Anita. She reminded me so much of Blu, with the black hair and blue eyes. Right then and there was my "Happily Ever After."

Naturally, of course, good things never seemed to last for me. When Anita was only six, she started to show signs of lycanthrope (transforming into a werewolf to put it in easy terms). It worried me greatly. I wanted badly to get another red hood for my daughter, but we weren't exactly the richest family around. _Maybe my husband can strike some sort of deal with the Deaf Witch. _I saw him, and Anita, sitting near the fireplace, warming their hands, "Anita, can you go to your room? Me and Daddy have to talk privately for a moment," without another word, Anita got up and carried her little doll upstairs.

"Blu, our daughter needs a red hood. She has been coming so close to turning, and I'm getting really scared."

"We don't have any money to pay for it. The Deaf Witch usually wants 200 gold shillings! We have to wait till I get a little more money."

My anger started to rise, "We don't have any time. I don't want my daughter turning into the same savage beast that killed my family."

"Don't say that, Lu. That werewolf was a person like you who couldn't control what they were."

"It was not a person!" I spat, "It was evil, I could sense it," In fact, the same demonic glowing eyes haunted my dreams from time to time, "I had the urge to kill it for the longest time, and I think I still have that urge. I know that wolf is still lurking around somewhere."

Blu gave a concerned look. _Wait, was that fear in his eyes? Looks a little more like sorrow, _"Lu, what if I told you…I knew the one who killed your family…"

My heart stopped, "No, you're not telling me Quinn is the one?!"

"You're right, it's not Quinn. The werewolf that killed your family…not on purpose… was me," I saw the first tear ever cried by Blu.

The world around me went into a shocking black and white, "What, no….it can't be you!"

Blu tried to explain, "I stole money from a wizard, and when he found out, he cursed me with being a werewolf for a day. When I attacked, it wasn't me, it was the curse!"

I was still in denial, "No, when I followed the tracks, it lead to a copper-haired kid."

Blu continued, "That was Quinn, he knew I was cursed and tried to follow me. I knocked him over while I was transforming to normal, and he just laid in the snow feeling sorry for me."

"You never told me this whole time! You LIAR! I trusted you!" my words came out in separate sobs.

"I hated myself for it! You don't know how badly I felt. It wasn't my fault!" while Blu was yelling, I reached for the kitchen knife. Hate was blurring my thinking; I was forgetting how much I cared about Blu. I wasn't seeing my lover anymore, I was seeing a murderer.

I went to strike him with my weapon, but he grasped my arm so tight I knew it was going to leave a bruise, "Lu, stop this! I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me! I love you,"I pushed him away. My mind was going so mad that the words didn't mean a thing.

"I want you to leave, and never come back. I could NEVER forgive you!" I pointed to the door.

More tears rolled out of Blu's eyes, "And I could NEVER leave you."

I screamed, "GO! I HATE YOU!"

Blu took it hard, with a couple of sniffles he grabbed his coat. Opening the door, and letting in some cool winter air, he spoke one last time, "Take care of Anita, let her know her Daddy loves her," his voice was as delicate as his freshly broken heart. Slamming the door behind him, I collapsed onto the floor sobbing. _What have I done? _I regretted my hatred. _I've lost the man I loved, that's what I have done. _I heard Anita crying in her room, and I wanted to go comfort her…but right now, I had my own crying to do.


	6. A Happy Ever After?

A day later, I went on a search for Blu. I visited every different village, even Quinn's, and came up with no results. _One place left to check, the treehouse. _I so badly wanted to see him at the treehouse, giving his familiar smirk, and hugging me, telling me how everything will be alright. But I was lying to myself, Blu wasn't there. I gave up all hope. Then I saw something carved on the wood of the treehouse. A message from Blu…

"I NEVER wanted to leave you,

You NEVER wanted to see me again,

I NEVER meant to hurt you,

You could NEVER forgive me,

Even when we part forEVER, I can tell you one thing,

I would always love you, forEVER."

-Blu

I sat in the treehouse and cried. Then I grabbed a sharp rock and carved something myself.

"I never meant what I said,

I am sorry

I would always love you, forEVER."

-Scarlet/Lucas

I walked back to the cottage with a lot going on in my mind. I hoped that maybe someday he would read my message and come back, so we can be a family again. My depression grew and grew until I knew I couldn't take care of my daughter anymore because she reminded me too much of her father. As soon as I had enough money to buy her a red hood, I sent her away to live with her uncle Quinn. I figured since now Quinn had a wife and a daughter, Anita actually might like it there. Quinn agreed, and promised to write monthly letters about how my daughter was doing.

Day by day, I would be alone at my cottage, sometimes looking out the window in hopes for Blu to come back. Every day was met with disappointment. Sadness came by so often it was like an old friend now. The only thing I looked forward to were Quinn's monthly letters. Anita did seem to miss me a lot, and would send drawings to me. I treasured each drawing, and letter, and stuck them in a safe box so I could read them over and over again.

People began calling me "Widow Lucas", because I was always alone, and they all think my husband died. They didn't know I forced Blu to leave. But, frankly, I didn't care what people gossiped about; I didn't even care if they called me "Widow Lucas."

As years grew on, I learned through letters that Anita started to become more and more rebellious as she had gotten older. She even grew to resent me for having Quinn and his wife "adopt" her. She was often getting into trouble, fighting with Lilly (Quinn's daughter), or even refuse to wear the red cape! I wanted to visit a few times, but Anita never wanted to see me. Quinn tried to be a good "father" to Anita, but she hardly obeys his rules, and when he would punish her, she would just get into more trouble afterwards. Her rebellious attitudes eventually lead to her getting pregnant at 18 by her boyfriend. She didn't even want the baby.

This was all very saddening. Once again, I blamed myself for it, "I could have raised Anita. I could have stopped my depression, and she would have had a better life," the latest letter I had gotten from Quinn said that Anita gave birth and was looking for someone to take care of her baby. Anita also wanted to become the first women knight, and she would be starting her training in a few months. It did sound like Anita was finally maturing, but I still never heard from her. That was the very last letter Quinn sent me. I always wondered since then whether she did become a knight.

Then came the day I heard a knock on the door. Opening it, I saw a little baby girl in a basket. Her round, green eyes stared at me. Then, I read the note that I found tucked around a red hood the baby was wrapped around in. "You'll get a second chance," I read out loud. _Second chance…of what...raising a child? Maybe Anita really did understand me after all? _"Also, I have learned to control the wolf within me." I continued reading "When my daughter gets old enough, she won't need to wear the red cape. Let her embrace what she truly is." _What does she mean embrace? No way I'm letting the child become an out-of-control wolf._ The baby started crying, so I picked her up and rocked her back and forth. "Don't you cry. Granny is here, Little Red Riding Hood," that name stuck.

Raising Red was one of the greatest joys of my life, she was so sweet, and I was grateful to hear her giggle, or to make cookies for her. Red did indeed grow into a beautiful, young woman, and I hope the best for her future.

Someday, I will tell Red this story. Someday…

I never stopped looking out of the window for Blu. Yes, I may be getting old now, but getting Blu back was a hope that would just never die down.

Gazing out the window, I think of all my old memories with Blu. Then…I thought I saw something. _Out the window…a man with a walking stick…coming this way._

I squinted and tried to make out who it was. I heard a knock on the door, and instantly recognized those familiar blue eyes. Red peered curiously at the visitor.

The man smirked and said, "Lu, I am finally home. Forever."


	7. Special Thanks and Additional Notes

Special thanks to my best Once-upon-a-time-buddy and editor, she has helped motivate me and was a big help with putting this story together (: I don't think this story would have been good without her, so whoever reading this if you could applaud right now I would like that :D

This is my first fanfiction ever, and I have been working on trying to make some more. So if this story is successful, expect more from me soon. It took a while to finish this, but I'm so glad it's finally uploaded.

Oh and all that copy write stuff: I don't own the show Once Upon a Time itself nor the characters except the ones I created. But this fanfiction was typed up all by me and will not be used anywhere else without my permission.

And now a special thanks to someone really important...My readers! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
